


small things

by manubibi



Category: Free!
Genre: Flash Fic, M/M, Melancholy, birthday fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-02
Updated: 2015-08-02
Packaged: 2018-04-12 14:13:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4482308
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/manubibi/pseuds/manubibi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Little fic for Nagisa's birthday, set after Eternal Summer, where him and Haru are boyfriends missing each other, but it's also ridiculously easy to cheer Nagisa up, so I'd say it's a happy fic!</p>
            </blockquote>





	small things

Even the sky seems to partake in his quiet sadness, at least it seems like that to Nagisa, the blond teenager sitting in his room in Iwatobi. Soft, light summer rain is pouring from the mostly clear sky, in the afternoon after a big lunch with a few relatives. Today it is his birthday, he reminds himself for the umpteenth time, and none of his friends seems to have remembered... Not that he expects them to. And after all, there is a whole afternoon and evening in front of him to see whether they really forgot, but there is one person he is aching to hear from right now. His eyes dart again and again to the mobile phone held tight in his hands as he sits cross-legged on his small bed, cradling it like it represents his entire relationship with  _that_  person. And even if just five months have passed since they parted, his heart already feels quiet tugs, with the knot in his throat swelling up little by little.  
His eyes droop. Of course he does not expect nor require surprise parties or gifts. He'd only be happy with a message, a phone call, an e-mail, something to know he is thought of.  
When Haruka left on a train with Makoto, for Tokyo, Nagisa was there with a big shiny smile on his face, thinking optimistically that they would see each other again, that there was no need to be afraid or anxious, that after all it was just one year of separation.  
But now that they are  _almost_  halfway through the year, it feels like too much time passed, somehow communications have began dropping, and Nagisa cannot blame the other boy. After all, he knows Haruka is working hard for his new-found dream, and he would never step in the way. Just a message is all he'd like to get, but he will not get angry or cry if he does not. He will just do his homework and celebrate with Rei-chan.  
But Haru-chan is special, his presence is special and even the silences peppering their conversations, those Nagisa always whisks away, they feel  _right_. Like they are a balanced harmony whenever they interact, and Nagisa now does not hate silence. He is not a quiet person, but he has learnt the value of not filling time with too many words, and that is a skill he values a lot now, because after all it only took a glance to understand what Haruka was feeling. But now he does not have him there, he cannot look at him to guess what he is feeling.  
  
The mobile phone rings loudly in his hands, and the kanji flashing on the screen make his heart bounce incessantly in his chest, while his face morphs immediately to a joyful expression.  
"Haru-chan!" He practically yells into the phone, with a happy chirp and even though it is still raining, it seems to him that this rain would feel great on his skin now.  
"Hello, Nagisa. Happy birthday," Haruka's voice comes warm, kind. Nagisa can feel it like a caress on his cheek, and he closes his eyes briefly with his smile widening for a few seconds before his thumping heart reminds him there are words to say to that.  
"Thank you!" He replies, bouncing on the mattress before standing up. "Hey, guess what! It's raining here. I bet you'd like to see it. It's so thin and I bet it feels great on your skin," he continues, getting close to the window.  
Haruka's lips curve from his apartment in Tokyo that still has boxes lying around despite all the time that passed.  
"Oh. It's so hot and sunny here... I'd rather be home." Pause. "Go outside and feel the rain for me then," He requests, with a mildly excited voice. After all, he does not get visibly hyped often, but  _water_  is happening, after all. Nagisa chuckles, ending up with a nod and a sigh as he trots downstairs, then slams the door open ignoring his mother who yells at him to at least get a heavier top. His shirt and face and shiny blond hair get droplets on it the moment he exposes himself to the rain, so he closes his eyes letting it on him. It feels gratifying, pleasant, to have fresh water cast the unbearable heat away. A soft breeze, adding to it, makes him shiver, but he smiles wider as if his face on its own could send the clouds away.  
"It feels good, Haru-chan. It's like you sent the rain for me," he hums, knowing it's a ridiculous notion.  
"Yeah, that's your gift. You're welcome," Haruka retorts with laughter well hidden in his voice, but after all Nagisa always knows his smiles, whether they are silent or in plain sight.  
"I actually sent you a real gift," the older quickly adds, as if Nagisa would get angry or demanding with him. The latter giggles, instead.  
"You shouldn't have. I'm just happy to hear you. I miss you, Haru-chan!" He says softly, and sighs.  
"It's just another few months, then you can come here and we can see each other," Haruka reassures him, with a firm, convinced voice. He isn't sure he would ever say no to seeing Nagisa, even in his worst moods. Actually, the blond is almost the only one able to blow the clouds away from his sight, but really the only one who can make his mood improve significantly with no effort at all, because his attitude breaks through him as if an outer shell was never there.  
"Yes! I can't wait to see you, Haru-chan!" Nagisa squeaks out, happy with his eyes widening in anticipation already. "I can't wait to come there and hang out with you and Mako-chan," he continues. "And maybe swim together!"  
Haruka smiles, Nagisa hears it from the little nose puff on the other end. "Yeah."  
Nagisa keeps quiet a little, still savoring the rain on his face until he realizes he is getting a bit too wet, thus he retreats to escape the water. He knows the phone call is over, and after all he does not have much to say.  
"How is school going?" Haruka inquires instead, surprising the other. Nagisa replies eagerly, proud of how well his grades are for his average. He really worked hard on the current goal of graduating with good grades so that he can choose what to do next.  
"Happy to hear you're doing good," Haruka finally croons when the excited voice telling him all about his days spent studying and conciliating swimming practice with it fades to a quiet, lazy silence. "So I'll see you in a few months," he adds, knowing that will make Nagisa happy, and it does.  
  
"Yeah! Thanks for calling, Haru-chan. I thought everybody would forget about me today..."  
"I like hearing from you," Haruka disagrees, with an imperceptible smile on his lips. Makoto made sure to make him swear he won't tell Nagisa about the pic-nic him and Rei and the new team members planned for him later today... weather permitting.  
Once the phone call ends, the rain does not magically stop and does not show a shiny sun, but it does not affect his smile. Nagisa does not need the sky to reflect that he has been cheered up. He knew a little thing like hearing that one voice would make it all better. He trots back in, brushing off in a light mood the scolding from his mother.

**Author's Note:**

> This was mainly written for happybirthdaynagisa @ tumblr, but also because I felt the need to celebrate with SOMETHING, and since I had no inspiration for anything - anything at all - I tried putting something together anyway. I clearly forced myself to write, but I feel better.
> 
> Christ, Nagisa isn't even real wtf I'm in too deep sigh


End file.
